In Good Company despite all the Negative Criticism

It is so hard to know how to handle criticism about your art.

As our first show house project comes to an end, we would like to say that it was everything we wanted and more. But to be honest, we were kind of scarred by some of the negative criticism. Yes, there was some fabulously positive feedback but we couldn’t get over the smart of the backhanded and downright cruel comments throughout the process.

Even as we started out working on our room, we heard the whisperings about us.

“What are they doing?”“Are they really doing that color?”“What kind of designers are they, that would do THAT?”

Truthfully, it made it hard to just show up to do our work when we had to face all the critics. At one point we thought we were going to be asked to stop. It was when we were told the project manager wanted to speak to us. “Can you tell me what you are doing?”, she sternly demanded.

“Many people are concerned about your room and frankly, I am too.” And I have to say, you have really put me in a bad spot because honestly if we had known THIS is what you were going to do, you would not have been asked to participate.” All we could manage to say through our utter embarrassment was, “it will be beautiful”.

Except now, we weren’t sure. Where once we were filled with passion and a force of passion greater than ourselves, now we felt we were working against something and felt completely defeated, humiliated.

Anyone that creates has been here. We are not unique.

The moment you create you open yourself up to critique. Art is difficult for everyone, even for the artist. Not because of the physical or the intellectual might it requires but because it can be very discouraging. So many artists/creatives “throw in the towel” rather than face rejection and all the negativity.

Most of the great masters faced mountains of rejection as they struggled to look past all the criticism and focus on their art, sometimes being the only one that believed in them and their work.

Pablo Picasso, one of the widely known artists across the globe, was severely criticized. His work was labeled evil and not worthy to be in a gallery.

“Others have seen what is and asked why. I have seen what could be and asked why not” – Pablo Picasso

The Impressionism art movement was coined by an art critic who considered artists from this movement, Claude Monet and others, art that looked incomplete and with poor technique.

Vincent Van Gogh only sold a single work of art while he was alive and now they sell for millions. He was dismissed as amateur and strange.

“I try more and more to be myself, caring relatively little whether people approve or disapprove.” – Vincent Van Gogh

Now, we aren’t saying we belong in anyway in the category with these highly recognized and regarded masters, we’re just saying we are surely in good company. As art has always been something open to public opinions and commentary…many times harsh and unkind. And nothing can be more disruptive to the creative process than this criticism. It can totally extinguish a passion. Yet however painful, being able to grow from criticism can be a gift too. No artwork will please all audiences. This project has been a valuable experience for us and we have learned about ourselves and our work and for that we are grateful.

Please enjoy this video we put together of the making of our show house room, our only hope is that you see our vision through our eyes and just maybe it will inspire you. At the end of the day, we were so glad we did this and so pumped to do another show house.

Above all else, it was for a very worthy cause, Home Health and Hospice.